'Negotiation' only way to end Gaza, Ukraine wars: China

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has said "negotiation" is the only solution to conflicts such as Israel's war in Gaza as he addressed a global gathering of military officials in Beijing.

Top military representatives from Russia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Iran and Germany are among more than 500 delegates in Beijing for the Xiangshan Forum on Friday, dubbed China's answer to the annual Shangri-La meeting in Singapore.

The three-day forum comes as Beijing increasingly presents itself as a mediator in global conflicts.

China has sent envoys to the Middle East, brokered a temporary ceasefire in north Myanmar and last year, facilitated a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

On the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's war on besieged Gaza, China presents itself as a more neutral actor than the United States.

Dong told the opening ceremony: "To resolve hotspot issues such as the crisis in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promoting peace and negotiation is the only way out."

"There is no winner in war and conflict, and confrontation leads nowhere," Dong said.

"The more acute the conflict, the more we cannot give up dialogue and consultation. The end of any conflict is reconciliation," he added, calling on all countries to promote "peaceful development and inclusive governance".

Forum agenda

Topics for discussion at the forum include US-China relations, security in Europe and Asia, and the challenges of defence in a multipolar world.

In his speech, Dong urged against "the proliferation of national security concepts" to ensure "new technologies can better benefit the whole mankind" — a likely reference to the United States's efforts to block Beijing's access to advanced technology.

"At a time of high global security risks and increased instability and unpredictability, the responsibility for building the defence and security capacity of all countries is enormous," Dong said.

Beijing, he added, "is willing to work with all parties to strengthen strategic alignment, deepen defence consultations, discuss the signing of bilateral and multilateral agreements on defence cooperation".

In addition, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Michael Chase is attending the forum just a few days after top Washington and Beijing commanders held their first talks.

Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of self-ruled Taiwan and China's increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions.

But they have sought to re-establish regular military-to-military talks in a bid to prevent flashpoint disputes from escalating.